It's Official

"This was only the second time all season both Brand and Iguodala have scored 20 or more points in a game. Two out of 65."

In a nutshell, this may be the big reason that we are a bad team. Who knows, maybe their games don't mesh, but that's really depressing. I don't know how to feel about Brand anymore. On the one hand, I really want him to succeed on the Sixers, even more than I want other stars. On the Phillies, I want Ryan Howard to play well, but I just want the team to win. It's kind of different with EB because every time he misses a shot I think "Damnit, that's a missed opportunity Elton" like I'm his dad or something. He plays team basketball and is a great locker room guy, basically a leader. I say old man moves affectionately and it's sort of a backhanded compliment.

On the bigger scale, this guy is just not as good as the money we are paying him. He is actually playing an old man's game. His contract kills our spending options and weHe doesn't grab any defensive boards anymore and he doesn't have the explosiveness to go with his physicality. I also see him dog it once in awhile (more than that lately) and I realize that we probably won't be able to trade his contract, so I get back to rooting for him really hard knowing that we are stuck with him. He's kind of one of the most underrated polarizing figures IMO, but nobody in Philly cares about the Sixers.

I enjoyed lat night's game asmuch as any I've attended this year. The Sixers played pretty well but not great and hung with the Cavs almost to the end. Then, after entertaining us, managed to fall short (with AI9 taking 3 pointers at the end) to lose a close game for the ping pong balls.

I didn't understand AI9 taking the final shot since he was 1 for 5 at that point, but maybe it was part of the tanking strategy. I still have hopes that they will get down to 5th or 6th and the possibility still is there to get to 4th.

I missed the game, but looking at the rotation chart it looked like the big lineup with smith, brand, young, iggy and holiday played well. How did the lineup actually look? I always wanted to see that kinda lineup since smith can spread the floor for brand on the block but is that how they used him?

What a good time it was to have that feeling that "your" team was giving it their all and just going out there to do what they're supposed to do - just play a game and try to win it, but passionately. Joyful night indeed.

Now reality. How fitting the loss was, but even more fitting was the fashion it ended in - Iguodala straight bricking a three off the backboard on his first attempt and getting a second chance at another three on the same possession and he clanked that one off the rim. And on a lesser scale the turnover by Jrue was fitting too but it's usually Iguodala committing it at that point in the game. Different game, different opponent, but it felt like I had all seen it before. Go Sixers!

Certainly. He's like this oversized guard or something yet has post game. His repertoire is stacked. I just can't get over his handle and how he uses it to get where he wants for that size. But what I really like lately is how he is playing with so much more verve and esprit. As with most young players he tended to drift some throughout games but now he seems so much more sharp with his focus.